The 38th meeting of G-15 foreign ministers chaired by Sri Lanka was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.
At the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Abbas Araqchi underlined the Sept. 24 crush disaster during Hajj rituals in Mecca which claimed the lives of hundreds of pilgrims and presented recommendations to promote the activities of the group.
Highlighting the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the senior diplomat expressed Iran's willingness to cooperate with G-15 members to help achieve the agenda's 17 sustainable development goals based on the priorities set by the group, IRNA reported.
Supporting the membership of new states from across the world including Asia, Africa and Latin America, Araqchi said the group should boost its cooperation in various fields, especially agriculture, biotechnology and tourism.
The Group of 15 is an informal forum set up to foster cooperation and provide input for other international groups, such as the World Trade Organization. It was established at the Ninth Non-Aligned Movement Summit Meeting in Belgrade and is composed of countries from Latin America, Africa, and Asia with a common goal of enhanced growth and prosperity. The G-15 focuses on cooperation among developing countries in the spheres of investment, trade and technology.
It was established not only to harness the considerable potential for greater and mutually beneficial cooperation among developing countries but also to conduct a regular review of the impact of the world's situation and of the state of international economic relations on developing countries.
Membership has since expanded to 18 countries, but the name has remained unchanged. Chile, Iran and Kenya have since joined the Group of 15, whereas Yugoslavia is no longer part of the group. G-15 countries together account for 25% of global crude oil output with Iran, Mexico, Venezuela, Nigeria, Brazil and Algeria among the world's leading producers of oil and natural gas. Six G-15 countries (Brazil, Mexico, Chile, India, Malaysia, Argentina) ranked among the top 30 destinations for foreign direct investment, and three (Malaysia, Chile, India) figured among the first 30 countries on the global competitiveness index.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace.
Tyranny of Poverty
The plan regards poverty in all its forms as the greatest global challenge and the campaign against the scourge as an indispensable requirement for sustainable development.
The initiators of the plan say, "We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want to heal and secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path."
"The 17 Sustainable Development Goals… seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to promote human rights and help achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental."
